Fire-escape.



F. PFEIL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8. 1916.

1,206,910. Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

J8 if 5 mam do z F. PFEIL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a. 1916.

1,206,910. Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3 nua'nfoz FRANK PFEIL, 0F STAUNTON, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-ESCAPE. Y

Specification of iietters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Application filed March 8, 1916. Serial No. 82,797.

l'0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK PFEIL, a citizenof the United States of America, and resident of Staunton, in the countyof Macoupin and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for the rapid and safedescent of persons from the roof, windows or other openings ofbuildings, to the ground, and has forone of its objects, the provlsionof means whereby such descent may be accomplished in a novel manner,through the weight of the person using the devlce, the weight alsocontrolling the speed of the descent.v Another object is to provide acurtain whereby the persons using the apparatus are materially shieldedfromthe effects of heat from the building in case of conflagrationduring their passage.

Still another ob ect isv to provide an apparatus that is capable ofbeing folded into small compass, as for storage, or extended for use inan instants time.

These and other objects, such as extreme simplicity, and low cost ofmanufacture, are attained by the novel construction and arrangement ofparts hereafter descr bed and shown in the accompanylng drawings forminga material part of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a partialfront elevation'of a building showing the appllcation of the apparatus.Fig. 2 is a perspective view shows in the apparatus in position for useFlg. 3 1s a side elevation of the same. Flg. 4 IS a fragmental frontviewshowing the w nding and brake construction. Fig. 5 1s a perspectiveview showing the cha1n and rung construction, and Fig. 1s a brokenperspective view of the curtain and its engaging means. 1

In attaching the apparatus to the roof or such openings as windows andthe like, a pair of hooks 10 are preferably used, the same beingprovided with sharp polnts 11, adapted to engage with any stationaryflat surface, as a window sill, the points entering into the material ofwhich it is made, so as not to slip from their position. These hooks areplaced so that the bar portion will rest against the exterior of thewindow sill, and are further provided with out wardly turned elements12, which are engaged by hinges 14 with bars 15; these bars have attheir'outer extremities, enlarged hubs 16 adapted to be mounted upon theends of a shaft 18, which passes laterally through them, and is formedwith a square portion 19 to which is fitted a crank handle 20, in suchmanner that the handle can be removed when not required for use. Alsomounted on the shaft 18, adj acently interior to the hubs 16, aresimilar shaped hubs 22, having arms 24 which carry at their extremeouter ends another shaft 25, on which are sprocket wheels 26, andadapted to engage with the sprocket wheels are chains 28, the upper endsofwhich are secured to the shaft 18, on which are rigidly mounted closeto the hubs 22 a pair of disks 32 between which the chains 28 may bewound on the shaft by operating the handle 20. i

In order to provide against an excessive rapid action of the chain whenthe weight of a person is suspended by it as they stand upon the rungs33, a braking device is provided consisting of arms 35, formed integralwith the hubs 22 and carrying at heir ends fixed pins 36, to which oneend of a brake band 38 is secured, the other end of the brake band beingfastened to fixed pins 39, rigidly set in the bars 15, in such mannerthat the brake bands cover approximately three fourths of the peripheryof the disks 22. Thus, when the weight of a person is sustained by therungs 33, the arms 35 tend to move around the shaft 18, which tendencyis resisted by the spring brake-band 38, causing it to'bear tightly uponthe disks, retarding their free movement, and by reason of theirengagement prevent the chains from an excessive rapid unwinding.

Attached to the chains 28, upon their inner side, is a: covering 40,made of asbestos, or other non-inflammable -material, and secured to thechain rungs by means of hooks 41 disposed upon either side, and in suchmanner that they may be removed readily if it be desired.

In operation, a person may pass out of the window, the lower sash beingraised as shown in Fig. 1, their feet coming in contact with the rungs33, which will start to unreel by the weight of the person, the rapidityof the unrolling or unwinding,

and hence the descent, being under control i.

of the brake band, and dependent upon the weight on the rungs.

If the chains are in an extended or lowcred position, then the descentis accomplished by using the rungs in the manner of a ladder, the heatbeing intercepted by the curtain 40, which will shield a person from theflames or effects of the heat in passing the'walls or openings in theWalls of the building.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding fire escape, a pair of hooks adapted to fold laterallyinward toward each other, a frame to which said hooks are pivoted, ashaft revolubly mounted in said frame, brake disks rigidly engaged onsaid shaft, a pair of chains adapted to be Wound upon said shaft, a pairof bell-crank levers freely pivoted upon said shaft exteriorly of saiddisks, said levers having nornaoaeao v mally horizontal and verticalarms, and

means engaged with the vertical arms of said levers for makingfrictional contact with said brake disks relatively variable accordingto the weight carried by said chains.

2. In a folding fire escape, the combina tion with a pair of sharplypointed hooks, a frame hingedly engaged with said hooks, a shaft mountedin said frame, disks rigidly engagedon said shaft, a braking means forsaid disks, a pair of chains adapted to Wind upon said shaft, bracketspivotally mount ed on said shaft, and sprockets for guid-" ing saidchains, 'said sprockets being'rey 1 olubly mounted in said brackets,said braking means being operatively engaged with said brake, andactuated by said track ets under the influence of said chains, Signed atStaunton, in the countyof Macoupin and State of Illinois, this 15th dayof February, 1916. v

FRANK PFEIL,

